Another Lovely Collection of Stories
by music4evah
Summary: I have decided to combine all of my one-shots for Another Artists' contest into one file/story. All of the separate titles and summaries are inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Challenge #1**

**The Things We Do For Love...**

**INFO: Ian and Amy aren't on the path to love just yet. Way too many distractions are up. So Ian sets out to do things to gain Amy's love.**

**NEEDED:**

**- A frog. I don't know why, but let's put a frog in this story : )**

**- Ian doing at least ONE silly thing to gain Amy's love.**

**- Amy shooting down Ian's "plan" ONCE.**

**- Use of the quote "Such sad woe for my toe".**

**- A thrift store. Haha, maybe they're buying a bag of Cheetos : )**

**NO-NOs:**

**- You can't use the quote "I love you."**

**- You can't let Amy stutter in this one… but maybe Ian can ;)**

**- Amy cannot shoot down Ian's plans more than once.**

**- Not all of Ian's plans can be silly.**

**- No airplanes or jets… and no having a plane spell out in the sky some fluff stuff.**

**(By the way, Another Artist, I quite enjoyed writing that first review. ^_^ )**

**So, here goes nothing... And I do not own The 39 Clues...Duh! (But I am fervently hoping that I can read the 7****th**** book ever so soon...) And I know, it's super long. But guess what? I typed half of this in less then a day. HAH! The only reason it wasn't done sooner was because I had a bit of writers block...I was trying to think of something funnier for one of his plans, but...didn't work. Besides, it's quite a delightful read. I had great fun writing it. It was a little weird, though, how most of it just flowed out of my fingers. [shrug] Well, that happens a lot. :] Enjoy!**

Scheming Through Thick And Thin -

Ian kicked the side-dresser in his hotel. "Gah!" he yelled.

Natalie made a face from her perch on a soft chair. "Really, Ian, stop ruining your shoes! They cost 1,000 euros, remember? Mummy won't be too happy–"

Ian snorted. "'Mummy'...When was the last time she did _anything_ motherly for us? Isabel doesn't even care."

Natalie gaped. "Ian...If she ever hears what you just said..."

"Who cares?" Ian threw his arms above his head, then let them fall limply to his sides. "She's taken away the one thing I need in this life."

Natalie cocked her head in confusion. "She hasn't taken away your money! Or did she?"

Ian growled. "No, not money! I'm talking about the _girl that I love!_ How could you be so thick, Natalie? Mother has done nearly everything possible to scare Amy off and make her believe that I don't love her!"

Natalie raised her eyebrows. "...Ian...Are you hallucinating?"

Ian kicked the side-dresser again. "Just...Just forget it, Natalie! You don't understand anything."

And with that, Ian grabbed his expensive coat from it's hook and left the hotel without a second glance backwards.

Natalie sat there, stunned. _What on earth has gotten into Ian's head?_ she wondered.

_Well,_ she mused, _it can't be anything good..._

- - -

Tears streaked down Amy's cheeks.

Dan snorted.

"This show is so lame," he said around a mouthful of Cheetos that he and Amy had gotten from a thrift store two hours before, along with a rented movie.

Amy glared daggers at Dan, so he chewed, swallowed, and then said, "_Why_ did we pick this one?"

Amy sighed. "Because I let you get 5 bags of Cheetos, 3 cans of sodas, and a tub of ice cream. Which I will no doubt regret later..."

Dan snorted again. "I'm regretting watching this movie! I'm outta' here. C'mon, Saladin! Let's go eat our Cheetos in peace!"

As Dan left their hotel with Saladin, Amy rolled her eyes.

'Bridge To Teribithia' was a sad movie! Amy had a right to cry! Not that Dan could appreciate _any_ movie, unless it was about Ninjas or Kung Fu.

Nellie walked up behind the couch Amy was sitting at, eating a bowl of ice cream. "You know, Amy," Nellie paused to lick her spoon, "Maybe it's not the best idea to let Dan go wandering on his own...Not to pull you away from this fascinating movie or anything. But..."

Amy shrugged. "It's alright. I can go find him and make sure he's not getting into any trouble. Besides, I _have_ seen this before. You can finish watching it if you want, and then you can clean up the mess Dan made!" she added cheerfully.

Nellie's mouth fell open. "Wh...What? Hey, kiddo, wait a split second–"

"I'll see you later!" Amy called over her shoulder, grabbing her coat on her way out.

As the door closed, Nellie let out a sigh.

_Well,_ she thought, _might as well watch the rest of the movie and enjoy ten or so minutes of laziness..._

- - -

Dan grinned.

Right now, life was awesome.

All he needed was a frog, some Cheetos, and his friend Saladin the cat.

After Dan had left the hotel, he had considered where to go. Amy, Nellie and he had come to a small town that Dan couldn't remember the name of at that moment. It didn't have any national monuments or stuff like that, but it had a library and two museums that Amy had dragged him to.

And Dan most certainly did not want to go to those again.

So Dan had wandered down to a nice, peaceful little park with a nice, peaceful little river running through it.

Well, it was peaceful until Dan came along.

He ran to the river immediately. There had to be _something_ fun to do there.

And that was where he found a frog.

A very unlucky frog, but a frog nonetheless.

Dan let out what he thought sounded like an evil cackle.

He took the frog in one hand, and took a Cheeto from the bag in his other.

Dan fed the Cheeto to Saladin. Somehow, Saladin enjoyed it.

And he craved for more.

So Dan grabbed another Cheeto, and spread it all over the frog. (Which wasn't the easiest thing to do, seeing as Cheetos aren't exactly spreadable, and he was trying to fend Saladin off from his bag of Cheetos.)

Then Dan set the frog down very carefully, making sure it wouldn't hop back into the river. Next, he directed Saladin's head to the frog.

And then the fun began.

Well, until Dan caught sight of a person he didn't like very much.

A person he didn't like at all.

A person who just so happened to be named 'Ian Kabra'.

Dan's shoulders slumped. "Aw, man!" he groaned. "Just my luck..." Life was definitely not awesome anymore.

And then Dan's shoulders slumped even more.

There, walking down the street, was Amy. No doubt looking for him.

At least she hadn't seen Ian yet.

Or...Wait. Maybe...No, it couldn't be...

_What if Amy had come _specifically_ to meet Ian here?_

Dan shuddered. No. Amy wouldn't do that unless Ian had some information for her. Valuable information.

And the last time that happened, it had ended in an utterly horrible disaster.

No. Amy would most _definitely_ not do that again.

So Dan gathered up his Cheetos, grabbed Saladin, who was trying to lick the unlucky frog that was a frog nonetheless, and headed for Amy.

And then suddenly, he turned.

And headed for Ian.

- - -

Ian was just about as lucky as the frog.

Who, if you remember, was very unlucky.

Ian just so happened to be in the same town as Amy Cahill.

And what did he do?

He mucked the situation up.

Not on purpose, of course.

But he mucked it up, nevertheless...

It all started when he caught a glimpse of Amy walking down a some what busy street. No doubt searching for Dan. (The boy had a tendency to disappear...) Ian knew what he wanted to do.

Vaguely.

It was obvious that he had to find a way to get Amy to forgive him. He had to regain her trust.

It sounded just fine. Like an exciting romance book, or a movie.

Except for the fact that he didn't have a plan. That fact alone shot his luck down by quite a few notches.

But then it got worse.

Daniel Cahill just so happened to show up at that moment. (Disappearing, showing up at the wrong moments...Let's just say that Ian was not fond of Dan at that particular moment. Not that he ever was.)

"Ah!" Dan suddenly yelled. He grabbed his right foot and started hopping around. "Such sad woe for my toe!" He cried.

Ian's eyebrows shot up. _What on earth...? _Ian shrugged it off. He must have stubbed his toe somehow. (Although as to why he exclaimed such a line, Ian would never know...)

"If you are done acting like a frog," Ian sneered, "I'd like to get this little encounter over with, if you don't mind."

"Why hello, Ian," Dan sneered back, setting down his foot. "How's the English bloke?" he asked, mimicking Ian's British accent.

Ian let out a quick breath of frustration. "Daniel, now is not the time. If you would just excuse me–"

Dan gave a fake bark of laughter. "Haha, sorry, no can do."

Dan led Ian behind a tree, and out of Amy's sight for at least a minute or two.

"You see," Dan explained with false friendliness, "I have a sister."

Ian raised an eyebrow. "And I am not an idiot."

Dan made a face. "Check again. But anyways, you see, you seem to enjoy betraying my sister and breaking her heart."

Ian sighed. "I can explain," he began.

Dan interrupted. "Sorry, I'm a little short on time," he said through gritted teeth, not sounding very apologetic at all. "You see, I don't really like getting involved with my sister's love live. Hate it, actually. But there are times when certain boys go a little too far and get on my nerves."

Ian put a hand to his eyes.

He wasn't feeling very lucky today.

And for good reasons, too.

Dan grinned. "And you know what? Amy's not to fond of it, either. So back off, you snooty rich dude, and run back to your snooty rich mommy and snooty rich sissy of a sister, and bug someone else. We've had it."

And with that, Dan left Ian rubbing the temples of his forehead, desperately wishing that Dan would understand...

But Dan wasn't one who took the pains to understand people he didn't like.

Dan swaggered merrily towards Amy, who sighed in relief at finding Dan.

"Why are you grinning so widely?" she asked as they walked back to their hotel.

Dan shrugged, his grin getting bigger. "Eh, just had some fun torturing a frog...And a snake."

Amy shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh...Well, we've got some work to do. Come on!"

Little did Amy and Dan know that Ian was following them, hoping to find a way to talk to Amy...

But Ian wasn't feeling very lucky today.

And worst of all, he didn't have a plan.

But Ian knew how to scheme. That was something he did very well.

So that was what he would do...He would start scheming through all that was thrown at him–Thick and thin.

- - -

Ian was breathing heavily. He'd followed Amy and Dan back to their hotel. The two had let their guard down, and hadn't realized that he was following them. But he hadn't let _his_ guard down. He made sure that even if they were suspicious of someone following them, they would have no clue it was him.

Being a Lucian came in handy sometimes.

Well, more than sometimes. Not that he wanted to brag. (Well, he would, but he was a little preoccupied at the moment.)

So now he was in the St. Mark Hotel, standing outside of Amy's door, after preparing for the plan that had finally taken form in his head.

He was finally starting to feel a little more lucky.

Ian took a deep breath.

"Alright," he told himself. "Don't worry. This will work out just swell. You'll win Amy's heart...And you'll never betray her trust again. Everything will be fine."

Ian taped a piece of pink paper to the door. There was also pieces of pink paper taped to all of the other doors in the hall, so that Amy wouldn't get suspicious. He had paid a maid to come take them down in about five minutes, seeing as he didn't want anyone coming along and ruining his plan.

Then Ian repositioned the lunch tray that Dan had ordered (which Ian had volunteered–Something he would never do otherwise–to bring to the correct room. And he had made the offer to the maid that Ian had paid to take down the fliers. It was a fair trade...) so that it looked as if it had just been left by the maid mentioned earlier. Finally, he knocked on the door, and then hurried around the corner to the stairs, and sat in an alcove which had his laptop (which he had gotten from his hotel just half an hour before–Thank goodness no one else had been there!) And watched the camera that he had set up to watch the door of Dan and Amy's room.

Ian allowed himself to flash a little grin of triumph. So far, so good. At least no one had opened the door before he had knocked!

The door opened, and Ian watched the camera intently. What luck! It was Amy! Ian was definitely feeling more lucky.

Amy picked up the tray, and turned to go back into the room, when she stopped. She'd seen the pink flier! She paused to study it, and then Ian heard Dan call for Amy.

Dan entered the picture, and grabbed the tray that Amy held. He didn't bother to look at the flier. He didn't read for fun.

But Amy continued reading it, tilting her head. Ian let a small smile creep onto his face...

Then he shook himself. He had a job to do.

Amy finished reading. She turned and glanced down the hall both ways, and saw the other pink fliers on the doors.

Ian watched as she bit her lip, full of uncertainty...

And then she made up her mind.

- - -

Amy made up her mind.

"Hey, Dan? Nellie? I'm gonna' go out for a bit. Try not to blow up the place while I'm gone, ok?"

"Ok!" Dan called back. He'd momentarily forgotten about Ian and the threat he posed.

"Sure thing, kiddo!" Nellie raised her arm above her head and gave Amy a thumbs up without looking away from her laptop.

Amy closed the door to their hotel room. She walked down the hall to the elevator, and pressed the down button. The elevator doors opened, revealing that there was no one inside it, and she stepped inside, pressing the lobby button.

The doors slid closed, and when they opened again with a cheerful ding, Amy made her way out of the hotel, not noticing Ian taking a much quicker route to her destination.

Amy turned a street corner, going over what the flier had said in her head.

**Come to the Museum of Natural History to see our new exhibits!**

**When: Today, 3:30pm**

**What: New exhibits featuring Thomas Edison, Wolfgang A. Mozart, Neil Armstrong, Benjamin Franklin, and much more!**

Instantly, Amy had realized all the names on the flier were Cahills.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

And it wasn't.

- - -

Ian paced back and forth on the steps of the Museum of Natural History. It was such a pathetic and cliche name. But Ian wasn't going to waste his breath telling that to the manager.

Finally, Amy came into view. There weren't too many people nearby, but then again, it was a small town. And besides, Ian didn't want everyone hearing what he was about to say to Amy.

Ian took a few deep breaths. "It will be alright...Everything will be alright..."

Amy stopped short once she saw Ian. There were about 20 feet separating them.

Ian bit his lip. (Something he didn't normally do.) He was nervous, for once in his life. The one time when he had to do something that _really_ mattered, his insides turned to jelly and his tongue felt twisted up. Was this how Amy usually felt? Well, even if it wasn't, he didn't feel so lucky anymore.

"H-H-Hello, Amy." Ian cursed himself. He had never stuttered in his life! He had always been confident, always had a plan, a back up plan, _and_ a counter plan. He was always prepared.

And now he was going out on a whim.

Amy took a deep breath. She really didn't trust Ian. And she didn't want to.

This had to be a trick. Amy wanted to slap herself. It was so obvious! All the Cahills, the exhibit opening right at the time she saw the paper...Why hadn't she realized?!

Suddenly, she was angry. No, furious. What right did Ian have to keep on playing with her this way? None at all! That..That..That absolute jerk! That idiot! He was a coward, too! He just didn't know when to stop, and he thought he could always get away with it.

Well he was wrong. He was _not_ getting away with it this time. She would see to that.

"Ian, I am _so_ not in the mood," Amy said. Her voice shook a bit, but she didn't stutter, thank goodness. It was Ian who had stuttered...So strange. It would be just like him to be pretending, trying to catch her off guard....But for some reason, Amy didn't believe that. It had sounded to real. As if he hadn't meant to stutter, and was at this very moment cursing himself for seeming so weak. Like she had so many times before...

Amy shook it off.

Ian ran a tired hand through his ruffled hair and let out a puff of breath. "Amy, I know you are 'not in the mood'. But I have a few things to say to you."

He took a few steps closer to her.

Amy's chin trembled. _No,_ she mentally kicked herself. _You will not stutter. You will not stutter._

Suddenly, Amy realized that she and Ian were all alone.

No one was outside.

It was one small town.

"Please, Amy, just listen to me. It took a lot of work to get you here alone. I wasn't even expecting us to be completely alone."

Amy rubbed her lips together. She really didn't want to trust Ian, not after everything he'd done to her and Dan.

Well, mainly her.

Ian wasn't exactly comforted by Amy's silence, but at least she wasn't beating him up for trying to kill her multiple times. (After kissing her, no less...)

"Amy, I truly am sorry that I have caused you so much pain," Ian began.

Amy sighed. "Ian, could you just write it down, or something? Your English accent gives you a _totally_ unfair advantage."

Ian blinked in surprise. "Er...Well, sorry, but I don't exactly have a pen or paper right now. So...just try to ignore my accent, alright?"

Amy smiled softly. "I was joking, Ian."

Ian blinked again. That had been unexpected. "Well...Alright then...Look, Amy, I didn't want to leave you in Korea."

Amy winced.

"I...Falling in love with you wasn't part of the plan."

Amy looked up from studying her shoes and the ground surrounding them. "...What?" she breathed.

Ian licked his cracked lips. (Which weren't usually that way...) "Falling in love with you wasn't part of the plan," he repeated. "But...by the time I realized I had done so, it was too late. We had found the clue, and there was no time to talk Natalie out of our grab-the-clue-and-leave-you-for-dead-plan. Not that she would have if I had the time to do that. And I knew that if I tried to protect you, she would have hurt you, Dan, even me."

Amy made a face. "It wouldn't have heart my heart so much."

Ian threw his hands in the air and cried, "Yes, but _you could have died!_"

"I would have died anyways!" Amy screamed right back at him. "You left us in that cave _for dead_, Ian, in case you don't remember. You shut the exit _on purpose_ so that we _couldn't get out!_" Amy was shaking.

"Yes," Ian countered, angered now, "But you got out anyways! You're alive, aren't you? Or have I been talking to a ghost for the past while?"

Amy stared at Ian. "Well that just shows how little you care about me."

"I do care about you!" Ian stepped towards Amy, his cheeks flushing red.

"Did you hear what you just said?!" Amy countered, taking a step forward as well.

"I know what I said! But I knew that you were smart enough to get out of that blasted cave anyways! Besides, you had Alistair with you."

"He almost died!"

"Oh, but he ratted out on you too, didn't he?"

Amy was at a loss for words. "Well...Well...What about Russia?"

Ian blinked. "What _about_ Russia?"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb! You show up, knowing that you've broken my heart and left me to die in a cave, and then you thought that I still liked you!"

Ian paused. "...Did you?"

"...That's not the point! And after that, you put a bug in our luggage!"

"It could hardly be called that. Two back packs!"

"Says the boy who always brings ten suitcases wherever he goes..."

"I do not bring ten suitcases everywhere with me! That's Natalie you're talking about, right there."

"You still bugged them!"

"I was trying to keep you safe!" Ian threw his arms widely as he took another step forward.

"Pfft. Whatever. You were trying to get another clue," Amy replied, stepping forward as well and crossing her arms.

"No, Amy. Remember what I told you in that phone conversation?"

"How did you get our number, anyway?"

"Amy, please. I am a Lucian. _And_ the son of the _leader_ of the Lucians. I have nearly all of their tools and gadgets at my disposal!"

"...Alright. So how do you explain trying to keep me 'safe'?"

Ian sighed. "I knew that you were near a black circle. And I, as well as others, were certain that you and Dan, being the troublemakers that you are–No, let me finish!–would try to get in there and poke your noses around.

"And Amy, _no one_ gets out of a black circle alive without the permission of those who made it."

"But we did! Unless you're talking to a ghost right now," Amy mocked.

Ian sucked in a fast breath. This wasn't going well. "Amy, how could I know what would happen? When I found out that you had gotten into that black circle, I nearly threw up. I thought you were dead."

"Not like it would matter."

"Amy, you don't get it. I'm trying to tell you about my feelings for you_._ When my parents told me that you had escaped...You have no idea how relieved I was. But then...Isabel insisted on coming to Australia with us."

Amy frowned, not sure whether to be ashamed or doubtful.

"And I...Amy, I was a coward. I was an idiot. I shouldn't have done what I did."

Ian took the last few steps until he reached Amy. He took one of her hands in both of his. "Amy, please, believe me."

Amy's mouth opened and closed a few times. She wasn't quite sure what to say.

"...I ...No."

Ian blinked. "...No?" he whispered, dropping Amy's hands.

Amy took a step back, shaking her head, tears gathering in her eyes. She angrily blinked them away. "No!" she cried. "You're lying to me again! How long did it take you to rehearse that? Where's Natalie? Video taping this?"

Ian's mouth hung open for a while before he managed to stutter out: "N-N-No, Amy, please, I–"

Amy shook her head again. "No."

Then she turned and ran.

And Ian stood there, on the steps of the Museum of Natural History, not quite sure what had gone wrong.

He stood there for a long time, until dark clouds had gathered, thunder boomed, and rain poured down on top of him, mingling with the tears flowing down his cheeks.

He was most definitely not feeling lucky anymore.

- - -

Amy shut the door behind her quietly.

It had taken all of her will power not to forgive Ian.

And she didn't know why she hadn't.

Maybe because she was afraid. Maybe because she didn't know what would happen next, how they could even begin to have a relationship with the competition for the clues already going on. Maybe because she knew Dan would never be able to forgive her. Maybe because she had made up her mind to trust no one but Dan.

Well, whether it was one, or all of the above, Amy was drained.

She crossed the hotel room sullenly, not having anything to say. She just didn't know how she would tell Dan. She had promised not to keep anymore secrets from him, but she was _so tired..._Maybe after she'd had a nap.

Yeah. That sounded reasonable...

- - -

Ian buried his face in his hands. He was still wet from all of the rain, but at least now he was inside.

After standing in the rain, stunned and crying (to his own surprise), for nearly five minutes, he had forced himself to move. Or sit. He had to do something! Anything! Ian had finally made his way to a hotel (_not_ the St. Mark...), and he was now sitting on the queen sized bed, trying not to lose his mind.

_She rejected me...After I poured out my soul to her! I thought I was being plenty reasonable!_

Ian shook his regrets off. He couldn't think about that.

Amy had made it clear she didn't have the same feelings for him that he had for her.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

Part of Ian wanted to believe that she really did feel the way he did, that she was just afraid to trust him...

But where would wistful thinking like that get him?

No where.

Ian thought for a few more moments. Was there anymore hope? Most likely not. After Amy had refused him like that...Even if it _had_ been just because she was afraid, she wouldn't come back and apologize, or anything of the sort.

But he had to win her back.

There was no life without her! He had nothing without Amy, he now realized. He hadn't thought his plan would fail.

How foolish of him. He had thought before that he could use her. Now, he had nearly done the same thing without meaning to! How could he live with himself?

How could he live without Amy?

_Snap out of your pitiful reverie,_ Ian chided himself. _The only way to get her back is to do something _useful, _not mope around because your luck is a little low._

'_A little' is an understatement,_ Ian subconsciously added.

But, his thoughts were right. Moping would do nothing positive for him.

Ian flipped out his cell phone and dialed a number.

- - -

Natalie sighed as she answered her phone. "Hello, you are speaking to the gorgeous Natalie Kabra. Tell me who you are so that I can decide if you are worth my precious breath."

Ian snorted. "Really, Natalie, your head is far to large for your delicate body."

Natalie's nostrils flared. "_Ian?!_ Where have you been?! Mummy and I have been looking everywhere for you! I even took the liberty of looking in the mall! I bought 36 new outfits."

"Natalie, would you shut up and stop thinking about yourself for ten seconds? I have a crisis on my hands here!"

"Oh, Ian. Poor, misguided Ian," Natalie said as she gazed at her nails. "Really, you don't have to snap at me like that. Now, what is your 'crisis'?"

_She must be very bored,_ Ian thought, _to help me so willingly. Well, maybe my luck is starting to turn around..._

"Natalie, you have a very cunning mind."

"Oh, please, don't flatter me, Ian! I know you only do that when you need something. Which you evidently do."

"Natalie..." Ian hesitated. It was stupid to rely on Natalie. Silly. Crazy. No good could come from it! And yet... "I've tried talking to Amy," he said in a rush. "I tried telling her that I was sorry for leaving her in Korea–"

Natalie gasped. "You _were_?! What's become of you, Ian?"

Ian sighed. "And I told her that I was trying to protect her in Russia–"

"We were trying to protect the Amber Room!" Natalie huffed.

"...And I told her I was an idiot and a coward in Australia."

Natalie was about to reply and protest to that too, then thought, and said, "Well, yes, you were."

"I practically poured out my soul to her, Natalie!" Ian exclaimed, angry.

Natalie laughed. "Like you have one."

Ian raised an eyebrow, and then remembered that Natalie couldn't see him. He felt like a fool. What was he playing at, trying to _tell_ Amy what he felt like? Of course, that was almost sillier than trusting his sister! It was obvious that Amy wouldn't believe him. What had he done but lie to her, betray her, and even assist in attempts to kill her?! Natalie had rejected his excuses in an instant, besides the last one, and Amy must have, also, despite how true they were.

Ian was being an idiot again.

"Ian?" Natalie asked. "I do believe that you have lost your mind."

Ian groaned. "Natalie, I _love her!_ I tried to explain it, but..." Ian sighed. "I was a fool to go about it that way. Especially after Dan talked with me–"

Natalie gasped again. "What? You _talked_ with that oaf? Ian, you really have fallen far..."

"Natalie," Ian protested. "He talked to me, not the other way around!"

"And I suppose he warned you to stay away from his oh-so-precious sister," Natalie sighed. "So pathetic."

Ian smirked, agreeing with his sister for once. "Not to mention that he began with, 'Such sad woe for my toe!'"

Natalie gagged. "What?"

"I have no idea. Anyways, back to the point..."

"You need help to woo Amy. Really, Ian, you are such a fool to trust me. I could go and tell Mummy right now!"

"But you won't."

"Why shouldn't I?" Natalie challenged.

"Because I have some black mail."

- - -

Ian took a deep breath.

He really wasn't feeling lucky today.

He was about to do something that he didn't consider... Well, helpful.

But it was the only chance he had. It had to work, or...Well, it had to work! Not that Ian believed it would.

Ian was standing in front of Amy's hotel door. Again.

But he hoped this plan would work much better this time.

He hoped.

Before he could persuade himself not too, he knocked on the door. Then he waited while someone came to answer the door.

Ian fervently prayed that they wouldn't all be out.

That at least _Amy_ would be there. If Nellie an Dan were, too, well...He'd just have to deal with it.

Finally, the door opened to reveal...

- - -

Amy woke up with a start. She didn't know what did it, but she was awake now, and she still had to tell Dan about her encounter with Ian.

"Better tell him now," she mumbled. She practically fell out of her bed while rubbing her eyes, but she barely noticed.

"Dan?" she called.

No answer.

"Nellie?"

Silence.

Amy sighed. "They must have gone out shopping or something," she thought. Then she spotted a note on a table, and read it quickly.

It was just like she thought. They went to run a few quick errands, and Nellie had promised to get something fun for Dan. (_Not_ a sappy movie.) So Amy would be alone for an hour or two.

Amy sighed. Well, she could tell Dan when he got back with Nellie.

She gazed around, then grabbed a nearby book and sat on the couch. She had just started to read when–

A knock came at the door.

- - -

...Amy.

Ian breathed a sigh of relief. At least Amy was there. Even though she looked shocked and infuriated. She was there, and that meant that the plan was going smoothly so far.

Amy was shaking. "What are you doing here?" she hissed.

Ian sucked in a breath. Never mind. The plan wasn't going very smoothly.

"Er...M-may I come in?" he asked.

Amy stared at him, blinking a few times before she mumbled: "Uh...Well...Yeah...I guess..."

Ian nearly smiled. He wasn't sure _why_ Amy was giving him this amount of trust, but it meant something, didn't it?

He stepped in and gazed around at the hotel room. It was fairly simple, but Ian didn't mind.

Amy didn't look at him. She sat down on the couch and set a book to the side. She must have been reading it just before he knocked.

"Is anyone else here?" Ian asked hesitantly.

Amy shook her head.

Ian was stunned. "Then why did you let me in?"

Amy bit her lip. She didn't like the situation. Here Ian was, in her hotel room, alone with her. Again. And she knew that he was trying to get her back. Again. But...why? Was it because he really _was_ being sincere? Or was he just going to betray her? Again?

"I...I just...I thought...I don't know..." Amy trailed off.

Ian stuck his hands in his pockets. "Well...I am glad you did, Amy."

Amy looked up at this.

He certainly _looked_ sincere. But that didn't mean he was.

"What do you want?" she hissed, standing up and glaring at him.

Ian was taken aback by her sudden ferocity. "I...Well, our little...er, 'talk' a while ago didn't go very well..."

Amy made a face. "You _think_?" she asked sarcastically.

Ian shrugged uncomfortably. "I...I just wanted to make everything better," he offered.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "And how can you do that?"

He sighed. "Well..." Under his breath, he muttered, "Natalie, if this doesn't work, I will kill you."

Now both of Amy's eyebrows were high. "...Natalie?"

Ian tried to grin. "I...I turned to her when you left me."

Amy laughed. "You trusted _Natalie?_" She hooted. "Oh, you really are being an idiot...What did she tell you to do?"

"I...well..." Ian raised a finger, motioning for Amy to wait, and then walked back to the hotel door, opened it, and grabbed something that was out of view.

Then he came back to Amy with a bouquet of white roses.

Amy's eyes widened, Ian handed her the flowers, and she slowly took them. She'd never had _anything_ like this happen to her, and she wasn't used to seeing white roses. In two words, it was breath taking.

Ian searched Amy's face. "Well...Does that help anything?"

Amy looked up. "...Natalie told you to give me some roses?"

Ian nodded. "But, er, not just that."

Amy tilted her head, smiling softly. "What else?" she laughed.

Ian smiled, too. Then he grabbed something else from outside the door. He held in his hands a case. A jewelry case.

Amy looked at it with curiosity. Ian motioned for her to open it. She looked up into his face, wondering if it was really ok. Soon, she was mesmerized...His face had such compassion, such love...The emotion was pure. And Amy realized, somehow his feelings for her were true. She stared at him longer, surprised that she would ever see him look at her like that. See him look at _anyone_ like that except for himself in the mirror.

She carefully opened the case, to reveal...

A necklace. It was a silver chain, and it had a heart on it—Amy absently wondered if it was a locket. It was all silver, but an **A** was carved into it, and faintly outlined in jade green.

"How...How did you get this?" she asked, searching his face again.

Ian chuckled. "I bought it. It's custom made, actually."

Amy looked down at the necklace again. Ian picked it up, set down the case on a nearby table where the roses were set also, and gently placed the necklace around her neck.

Amy gazed into Ian's eyes. Neither of them had to say anything. They knew...

And Amy slapped him.

Ian put a hand to his face. "What...What the heck was that for?!"

Amy grinned. "I thought you deserved it."

Ian raised an eyebrow.

Amy sighed. "For trusting Natalie! It was the stupidest thing you could do."

"But..." Ian stuttered. "I...I thought w-we were having a-a moment! Oh, goodness, your stutter must bother you a lot, doesn't it? Well, back to the point..._Did_ it work?"

Amy smiled. "Yes, we were having a moment. And yes, my stutter does bother me a lot. And..."

She went on her tip toes and pressed her lips gently upon Ian's. Just for a moment.

"It did work," she whispered. "Silly as your plan was."

Ian chuckled. "Yes. I should have been more creative," he said as he pulled Amy closer.

He was definitely feeling luckier today.

- - -

And so our tale ends, with Ian finally triumphant, and Amy with more courage then ever before.

Of course, long as our tale was, it could be longer, explaining what they talked about until Dan and Nellie came home, or what would happen if Natalie ended up telling her mother of his departure to woo Amy. This tale could continue until the teller died, but that is not the way it was meant to be.

This story was meant to tell what ends Ian went to in order to prove to Amy that he had changed. And so, the teller says the words...

_The end._

- - -

**Woo, that was long! Sorry, I know his plans weren't exactly 'silly', but I tried to implement the fact that they WERE, in a way. I mean, trusting Natalie is rather silly, is it not? Oh, alright, you can consider them not silly. But I tried!**

**So, Another Artist, I hope you enjoyed this. I certainly enjoyed writing it. :) I think it was pretty unique, the way I used your requirements, don't you?**

**Anyways, review, blah, blah, blah, and since this is sooo long, I won't be surprised if there's any typos, even if I edit this 5 times.** **(This was 14 PAGES LONG on Word Perfect. Wow...I'm starting to write like S'Tarkan! And I'm delaying my other stories, too! ... Whoa. Never expected that.)**

**P.S. Originally, I made a horrible mistake and used the quote 'I love you.' I know, I am so very ashamed, but I FIXED IT! Plus, I went through it again...And I was absolutely mortified at how many typos I had. So I fixed about 20 of 'em. Sorry if there's anymore! So this is much better. FAR better than it was.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another 'lovely' story for Another Artists' "Another Lovely Contest". I'll admit, this one really took a lot of thought. Really, I had no idea how to make this that unique. . .But . . .Eh, gave it my best shot. Anyways. The info:**

**Challenge #2**

**Dancing Queen**

**INFO: For this story, I want you guys to first have some knowledge of the song "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. In this story, the plot is pretty subtle. And the theme? Dancing.**

**NEEDED:**

**- Amy dancing, of course. Ian could too.**

**- Dew on the grass. Such a beautiful scene…**

**- Reference to the scene in the third 39 Clues story, where Amy was twirling at Allistair's house. If you need help on this part, PM me and I'll tell you the pages to refer to.**

**- A butterfly.**

**NO-NOs:**

**- No lyrics flying about. This is NOT a songfic, even if I said to refer to the song.**

**- No using of the quote "Dance with me". But she could gesture for him to dance with her, she just can't use that quote.**

**- No cell phones, laptops, or electronic devices.**

**- Amy or Ian or whoever can't touch the butterfly. Meaning they can't hold it in the palm of their hand.**

**- No use of rain – Amy cannot be dancing in the rain.**

**Summary: Amy has a strange dream that she can't make heads or tails of. It seems to have a certain theme as it goes along, though, with a bit of a surprise at the end!**

- - -

**Dancing Dreams - **

Amy woke and sat up with a start. She was breathing heavily, but she didn't know why. Maybe because if the dream she had was real, she would have exerted a lot of energy.

But. . .It hadn't been real. Had it? It had certainly seemed so, but. . .No, it didn't seem that likely.

Amy thought back to the events in her dream. It had been rather random at first-Most dreams are.

The way it had begun had actually startled her. She had been six again. She was on a stage with about five to eight other girls her age. The lights shining down on her and the girls was bright, and she could hardly see her parents in the audience. She was wearing a dancing costume- A lovely ballet leotard, colored a light blue. She wore white tights, black ballet shoes, and there was a flowing skirt the same color as her leotard. Her hair had been done up in a beautiful bun by her mother only hours before.

Amy remembered that she had never felt more beautiful.

She had been taking dancing lessons for about a year, and now she was preforming at a Spring recital. As the music began, she danced to her routine the best she could. After the recital was over, her mother and father had hugged her, presented her with a bouquet of flowers, and told her that she had been absolutely magnificent on the stage.

Dan had picked his nose and said, "Can we go get ice cream now?" in his 3-year-old voice.

Amy tilted her head. She'd forgotten that she had taken dance lessons before her parents had died. Strange how memories came back to you at random times.

But the dream didn't stop there. It continued to a time Amy certainly hadn't forgotten- when she had twirled, arms spread wide, a smile on her face, on Uncle Alistair's front lawn, the grass sparkling with dew. Dan had snickered at her, calling her a dweeb. Then Ian had stood up for her.

Which had been odd.

And what was even odder was the fact that Amy could still remember the flurry of butterflies that had erupted in her stomach. It had felt like Ian actually _cared_ about her. Later she had found out he didn't, of course. But Amy had thought about those events too many times to count, coming to millions of conclusions, such as, "He doesn't care about me. Move on." Or, "There's a chance for us, still . . . Remember that flicker of doubt in his eyes?" So Amy had usually decided not to dwell on that for as long as she could. If she ever saw Ian on the clue hunt, well. . .The most she could do was see what he would do. And try to get out of the situation alive.

Amy shook the thoughts away. She went back to her dream. The odd thing was, that scene ended right after they had all gone into Alistair's house. But, of course, there was still more to her dream than that.

Amy had suddenly been in a place she didn't recognize-but she liked the place, none the less.

She was in a grand ball room. A place that you would see in a medieval love story, where the princess finds her prince charming and falls in love with him as she dances with him under the stars. Amy didn't have any hope of doing that.

Amy had gazed around at all the people milling about- But most of them were dancing to the gentle music that was played by an orchestra. The ladies all had the most gorgeous dresses Amy had ever seen, and their hair was either done up in artistic buns, cascading down their back, or curled perfectly. All the men were in nice suits, and Amy was amazed at the amount of variety the suits had.

With a start, Amy had realized that she was in a fine dress, too. She didn't feel it was anything to brag about, but some men had been staring at her. Her hair wasn't half bad, either, Amy thought as she caught a glimpse of herself in an oddly placed mirror. The auburn hair was twisted into her own artistic bun, but most of the ends of her hair were curled, so it was sort of a combination of styles.

But as lovely as Amy had to admit she was, she still felt out of place. It felt like she was imposing on Cinderella's story, and Cinderella wouldn't get her Prince Charming as long as she was there.

Unless. . .Amy was supposed to act out Cinderella. But how could that be? She didn't think this dream had anything relating to that.

Amy continued to gaze around at the stunning spectacle around her until she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Excuse me," a voice said. Amy could tell that the young man was British due to his accent. She turned around to see one of the most angelic faces she'd ever seen. One that she had seen too often before she thought she was going to die.

Yes, it was the face of Ian Kabra. The rest of him was there too, of course. But Amy couldn't take her eyes off of his face.

Ian let a smirk out. "Surprised?" he asked.

Amy nodded. "What. . .What's g-going on?"

"A ball. Isn't it obvious?" Ian laughed.

Amy blushed. "I knew _that_," she hissed. "But. . .What's it for?"

Ian shrugged. "I never really caught onto that. But. . ." he gestured to the dance floor. "We might as well make the most of it, right?"

She thought for a moment. Why should she? Amy wasn't exactly fond of Ian. But apparently, Amy didn't have as much control in her dream as she thought, because before she knew it, she was nodding, then being led out to dance by Ian. Ian danced expertly, and somehow, most likely because it was a dream, Amy did, too.

Amy didn't know how long they danced. But she didn't really care, as long as it didn't stop for a long time. Somehow, Amy enjoyed being held so close to Ian, dancing to a love song. . .Well, Amy wasn't sure if it was a love song or not. She didn't really take the time to figure out what song it was.

Ian and Amy kept on dancing, lost in each other's eyes. Somewhere in Amy's subconscious mind, she screamed at herself that the dream was extremely cliche, and although it felt nice to dance with Ian, she had to _snap out of it._ Amy pushed the thoughts away. Who said cliche dreams were a bad thing? So instead of pulling away, Amy smiled up at Ian, and he smiled down at her as well.

And then the dream had the nerve to end right there.

So here Amy was, wondering what the heck had happened. Obviously, dancing had been the theme of her dreams. But why, she had no idea. Amy didn't believe in omens, but. . .It had to mean something, right?

Amy turned her head, and saw that the clock in her hotel room said that it was 7:13 A.M. Amy probably wouldn't get to sleep again, but she laid back down anyways.

And then her cell phone rang.

Amy sighed, and quickly answered, not wanting to wake Nellie and Dan. (Not that she could. They were still heavy sleepers.)

"Hello?" she said, rubbing her eyes.

"Hello, Amy," Ian said.

Amy's eyes widened. What were the odds? "I-ian. . .What d-do you want?"

Ian sighed. "I know it seems rather strange, but. . .Amy, I just want to dance with you."

Amy blanched. "What?" she nearly yelled. Then she got out of bed, hurried into the bathroom, and shut the door, hoping and praying that Dan and Nellie wouldn't wake up.

"What are you talking about, Ian?" she hissed. First she dreams about dancing with him, then Ian calls her saying that's all he wants to do?

Ian sighed. "Amy, please, let me explain. I just. . .I just had a dream. First I was at a stupid ball when I was. . .what, six? Then I had a flashback of when you were spinning on Alistair's front lawn. Then. . .I dreamed that I was at a different ball, and I wasn't six this time. It was as if I was actually there, present time. Then I saw you. . .Amy, you were breathtaking. And then we danced for the longest time. . .And you smiled at me. . .Amy, I understand if you want to criticize me, but, please. . .one dance?"

Amy's eyes were wider than ever before, and her mouth was in a perfectly round _O_. "How did you know?" she whispered. "I had that exact same dream! Except. . .Well, I dreamed about some dance recital I had when I was six. Not a ball."

"Really?" Ian asked, curious. "How interesting." He and Amy sat in silence for a while, before he asked, "Well, Amy? I'm waiting for you to accept my offer."

Amy bit her lip. If dancing with Ian had been that wonderful in the dream, how would it compare in real life?

"Alright," she said. "Meet me at Fenway Park."

She couldn't see it, but Ian grinned. "Fenway Park. Got it."

Amy then hung up, and she tried to make herself at least somewhat presentable. Finally, Amy was please enough with her reflection in the mirror, and once she reached the park, she saw Ian sitting on a bench, waiting for her. It was still early, so the park was deserted except for them.

"Took you long enough," Ian grinned.

Amy blushed. "I figured that you wouldn't want to see me in my pajamas and with some pretty frightening bed hair."

Ian laughed, then held out hand. "Shall we?"

Amy took it.

And then they danced.

- - -

**Alrighty. That was pretty fun. I thought it would be harder, really, and some parts did take me a while. But I'm pretty pleased with it. :) Enough dancing there for you? Haha, I kept remember dancing on that one night. . .Ah, that was great. That was the best night of my life. Let's see, dew on the grass, check. Twirling scene, check. Butterfly, check. (Remember, butterflies in Amy's stomach? Pretty unique, I think.) And I'm pretty sure I didn't violate any of the no-no's. So . . .Review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Challenge #3**

**Bringing Down The Walls**

**INFO: Amy doesn't want to let Ian in… right? This story is all about Ian gaining her trust.**

**NEEDED:**

**- Fireflies!**

**- Use of the quote "I'm going to need some dynamite for this". It shouldn't be too hard though…**

**- Some laughter...**

**NO-NOs:**

**- No use of the word "trust". Ironic, I know, but… yeah.**

**- No crying. That's the next challenge!**

**- No gifts, especially the showering of roses and all that.**

**- No desserts either, or candy.**

**~Got Dynamite?~**

Amy Cahill didn't particularly enjoy fireflies. She wasn't very fond of bugs in general. They had too many legs and strange parts. When they crawled against her skin, they raised goose bumps, and she started to feel sick. Yet here she was, sitting on the front lawn in front of the apartment building she was living in, with her younger brother, Dan, watching fireflies. He was trying to catch them, actually. She was just sitting there, leaning back on her hands, watching him and the fireflies without expression.

"Woo! I caught one! Haha, it tickles," Dan grinned. "Ames, you gotta' try this!"

"No thanks," she said dully and without tone. "I'm _eighteen,_ Dan. I'm not about to start jumping around like a maniac and make a fool of myself."

"Well I'm fourteen. Almost fifteen," he added under his breath. "And some people stare at me strangely!"

Amy made a face. "No duh..."

Dan scowled. "Hey, would you quit it already?"

Amy blinked. "Quit what?"

"Quit being such a party pooper!" Dan threw his arms above his head, accidentally letting the firefly go. "You've been so grouchy lately. I'm sick of it!"

"Excuse me," Amy huffed. "I didn't realize we were at a party. Who are all the guests? The fireflies?"

"Now you're acting like a Kabra," Dan muttered darkly.

Amy stiffened. That was the worst insult Dan could ever make. The Kabras were a family distantly related to Amy and Dan– They were all Cahills, part of a large family with famous relatives, such as Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, and plenty more. They had been at odds for centuries, competing against each other to collect and combine 39 Clues to become the most powerful person in the world. This challenge, however, had nearly torn Amy and Dan apart multiple times, and they'd almost died on more occasions than they cared to remember.

They'd also had to go up against the Kabras. These were some of the Cahill's least favorite memories. Vikram, the father, was blood thirsty and evil to the core. Isabel, his wife, was even worse, if that were possible. Ian, the eldest child, the same age as Amy, was arguably the worst and the best. At times, he'd almost seemed human and sincere, but he turned around nearly every time to crush Amy's heart in the worst ways imaginable. Natalie, the other child, who was Dan's age, was a despicable snake, and the mini version of her mother. The whole family was also gorgeous, and their good looks, especially Ian's, had tied Amy's tongue more than once.

All in all, the Kabras were a hated and feared family by most. Amy and Dan hadn't seen any of them in a while, which they were grateful for. It had been quite refreshing from the constant appearance and interference that had occurred during the clue hunt.

Amy didn't say anything. She stared at the ground blankly for a while. Dan bit his lip, wishing he could take back his words.

"Amy...Amy, look, I didn't mean it–!"

"Save it," she shook her head. Then she stood up, dusted off her jeans, and trudged away.

Dan slumped down to the grass, legs crossed, elbows propped up on his knees. He cupped his face in his hands, and stared grimly at the fireflies dancing in the growing evening. One landed on his nose.

"What are you staring at?" he accused it. The firefly's light blinked on twice, and then it flew away.

* * *

Amy Cahill had changed a lot over the years, that was for sure. She didn't stutter anymore, although you wouldn't be able to tell that unless you spoke to her. Her voice was now confident, although it hardly ever displayed emotion anymore. It was almost robotic. Her face rarely showed feelings, either. Her hair had grown darker, and looked more brown than red now. It was long, and she had never really cared if she got it cut or not. So she just pulled it back into a pony tail every day. She didn't wear much make up. Most days, none. Her eyes were endless pools of green, and could be compared to a murky pond.

Besides her looks, other things had changed as well. She wasn't necessarily shy anymore. She just chose not to talk to anyone, aside from Dan. That is, if it wasn't necessary for survival. And even when she did, her voice was that same coldness. Her style of clothing had changed, even. Sure, they were still cheap and old, but they were usually darker toned, something you wouldn't have imagined her in if you had known her when she was still only fourteen.

She didn't read much anymore, either. She'd read a lot of books when she was younger, and although new series came out as time went on, she wasn't much interested. Sure, every now and then, she'd read a classic, like Pride and Prejudice. But even those didn't hold much joy for her anymore.

It was almost like she was a completely new person now. But in truth, she had created a shell– a wall of nothing to cover her inner self. A shield to protect her weaknesses, so that she could never be hurt again. She couldn't bear to let her heart be broken even one more time.

All of this that was visible, Ian Kabra took in within a matter of seconds.

"She looks so..._different,_" he muttered to himself. He had arrived in New Jersey, Amy and Dan's current home state, on business of his own. He had found out that they had lived here ever since the hunt ended, and he couldn't help but take a look and see what might have changed. Apparently, that was a lot.

After leaving Dan, Amy had just walked. She didn't care where. The only thing that mattered was that she strolled along the sidewalk, hands in pockets, studying the ground, kicking a small, meaningless rock every now and then. As usual, she didn't let any emotion but indifference show, although in truth, behind her defenses, she was an empty pit of despair and depression. Eventually, she had ended up in the not-so-busy downtown area.

Ian himself had just exited a building, and she'd passed right in front of him. At first, he hadn't realized who she was. She hadn't looked up, she just kept walking, and side stepped a jogger going the opposite way. For some reason, his eyes had followed her. If she hadn't turned sideways to let the jogger pass, he wouldn't have seen her face, and it wouldn't have clicked.

He started walking after her, trying to ignore the sudden twist (which was slightly pleasant) in his stomach. He studied all that he could see, wondering what had caused the difference. But, as Ian pondered, he realized that he had changed, too. It was idiotic to suppose that she would just stay the same, even if a part of him had wanted her to. Ian was now taller– So was Amy. He was more handsome than ever. She was still average, he supposed, but she still stood out to him. Of course, he hadn't gotten a very good look.

Ian sped up, and finally caught up to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, and she stopped abruptly.

"...Amy?" he asked hesitantly. It had to be her. It just had to be.

She slowly turned around, and raised her eyes to see how had stopped her, even though she already knew the answer. She braced herself, reasoning that she couldn't break down, not now when it mattered most. "Ian," she said curtly. She stared at him without expression, waiting for him to say something.

Ian stared at her for a moment, drinking her image in. Her hair was darker. So were her eyes. Her skin, though, was lighter than he remembered. And the angles of her face were sharper. Had it really been so long since he had last seen her? Suddenly, it felt like ages.

His gaze finally rested on her eyes. Time seemed to freeze. All these years– Yes, it had been years– he had never forgotten the intelligent brilliance that shone in those jade green circles that could melt him in an instant, if she stared at him in just that way...But now, she stared at him blankly, all light lost. It felt like he could see right through her, and inside was...nothing. They were like bottomless pits! He suddenly felt as if he was drowning, trying to push his way out of her gaze...But he couldn't...

"Well?"

Her cold voice cut through his thoughts like a knife. Ian shook himself, and then focused on her again. (Although he was careful not to get lost in her eyes.) "Amy. It's...It's you!"

"It is."

He blinked. Where had _that_ come from? "I...Amy, I haven't seen you in years!"

"No, you haven't, it would seem."

Again, her dull response was short and to the point. Gone was her stutter, and her warm, usually timid, personality was nowhere to be found.

"Amy, what happened to you?" Ian searched her face, now with both hands on her shoulders.

Amy turned her head away. "I wasn't aware that you would be so shocked to see me," she said.

"Of course I am!" Ian exclaimed. "I mean...Look at you!" Amy looked herself up and down.

"And?"

"Like I said, I haven't seen you in years. And you practically look like a completely different person!"

Amy looked at him pointedly. "If you took the time, you might discover that I'm not that different after all." She shrugged her shoulders out of Ian's grip, and turned to walk away.

Ian, meanwhile, stood there, mouth slightly agape. Aware of this, he suddenly closed it. Well, Ian certainly hadn't expected this. He gave an uncomfortable laugh, and hurried after her. She was intriguing. Not that she hadn't been before. But he wanted to learn what had caused this change. She had practically dared– No, _invited_– him to.

"Look, Amy," he said as he came even with her. "I don't know what's going on. Would you care to explain?"

She didn't say anything, just kept walking, looking straight ahead.

Ian's brow furrowed. This wasn't going to be easy. When was the last time he had seen her? It had to have been at least three years ago. His family had finally collected all of the clues not too long after the events on Mount Everest. After that... His eyes widened. _No_. This couldn't have been because of him, could it? He glanced at the silent girl beside him. It probably was. Well, if he was going to get her back to normal...Whatever normal was...He would have to do this carefully.

"Amy?" He asked cautiously. She turned her head to look at him. "Can...Can you give me any hints?" Ian needed all the help he could get before he tried to solve this puzzle.

She considered for a moment. "A few," she finally said. She kept walking, but her strides looked a little more purposeful, and Ian followed without comment.

Finally, she turned into a park that had a lake in the middle. A few kids were running around, playing, and two mothers were sitting nearby, talking to each other. It was a typical park scene. It even had a couple little boys who were sailing paper boats in the lake.

Amy headed towards the lake. There was a small toy boat on the beach of the lake, and it was half filled with water, and had bits of various plants and pebbles in it. She picked up the lone boat that had been abandoned. She held up, studied it carefully, and then poured the water that had filled most of it. After the water and most of the leaves and rocks had fallen, she let it go. It fell into the water with a _plunk_, and then slowly sunk downwards.

"Hint number one," she stated.

Ian nodded, not saying anything. He understood. At least, he hoped he did.

Amy turned and walked away, leading him from the water.

* * *

Amy was panicking.

Sure, on the outside, she looked absolutely calm, as if nothing unusual had just happened in her life. Nothing ever did anymore. Until today. Where had Ian come from? Most likely London, she supposed, but what was he doing here? Well, she wasn't about to ask him. She didn't make polite conversation anymore. Not even if it was the only thing she wanted to do. (Which had never been the case until now.)

So instead of hyperventilating, she led Ian to a photo/greeting card store. Random, she knew it seemed, but it worked. It was one of the first things she could think of. Other ideas she had tossed away, not finding them as appealing. This probably wasn't perfect, but it was better than some things that she could do.

As they entered the small shop, a small bell dinged. Amy resisted the urge to smile and the sound. Ian just looked annoyed.

"Ah, who is this?" a jolly looking man asked. "A couple in search of my wares?"

"No," Ian immediately protested. "We...We aren't a couple. Just...friends, I suppose," he said awkwardly.

Amy ignored both of them, and headed straight for a row of cards. She flipped through them, not taking too long to look or ponder.

"Can I be of any assistance?" the store owner asked.

"No."

"...Alright then." Then, to Ian, he whispered, "Is she always that way?"

Ian sighed. "Apparently."

After a few minutes of searching, Amy triumphantly pulled out a card. "Here," she handed the card to Ian.

"Are you buying it?" Ian asked curiously before he looked at it.

"No."

Ian shrugged and then studied the card. It didn't take long for his eyes to widen and for a gasp to escape before he managed to regain his composure.

The card was cheap. The whole store was cheap, Ian noted. But that was to be expected in a small town in America. It was a greeting card. He wasn't exactly sure what the occasion was meant to be for, but it was obvious that it was something romantic. For the whole front of it, was just a picture. A black and white photo of a couple kissing on a bridge. Romantic, right? Sure, but Ian knew what Amy was thinking about.

At least, he hoped he did.

He shoved the card back to the place where Amy had gotten it from. "Let's go," he muttered. Amy shrugged and opened the shop door. The bell rang again, and they left.

The shop owner leaned on his counter, brow furrowed. That would have been pointless, he thought. Just come here, look at a card, and leave. Except for the young man. He had taken one look at it, and paled. Then he had turned away, and hurried out, with the girl. She had almost smirked for half a second, and then her face was a perfect mask.

The man shrugged. What business was it of his? He wouldn't ever see them again. So without anymore thoughts to them, he continued on with his average life.

* * *

_Calm down,_ Ian berated himself. _That just...caught you off guard. Just follow Amy, and everything will settle down. Eventually._

With these thoughts in mind, Ian attempted to control his breathing, and kept his pace steady, still following Amy. So far, Amy's actions had brought back painful memories. They had to be even worse for her, he realized. He was beginning to think that he might understand her now. But there were still a few things he didn't understand. She wouldn't completely fall apart just because of that. There had been plenty of other things that happened. And if she had really fallen apart, wouldn't she have broken down and started crying the second she saw him? This still didn't make sense. So, he waited for Amy to show him something else. Hopefully, it would all make sense afterwards.

...He just hoped he didn't have to apologize. That could be awkward. Kabras weren't accustomed to doing that sort of thing.

Ian's thoughts and dreads were cut short when Amy stopped in front of an apartment complex. She looked around quickly, shrugged, and then headed inside into her apartment. Ian suddenly wondered where Dan was, and he asked her.

She just shrugged and motioned for him to wait in the small living room.

"This isn't even a fourth of the size of my bathroom," he muttered as he looked around, disgusted with the sparse furnishings. Finally, Amy came out with a canvas. She came to stand in front of Ian. Searching his face, she slowly turned it around so that Ian could see the painting.

Again, Ian's breath caught in his throat. Sure, the skill was probably mediocre. Amy had probably painted this herself. But it was still clear what had been painted. On the canvas was a heart, torn into pieces, looking lost and abandoned. Around it were tall, gray walls.

Ian turned away from the painting, and looked instead into Amy's eyes. They were still empty, without anything to suggest who she had once been. _Perhaps who she still is,_ Ian thought.

"Amy," he said slowly. "Is that...Did you paint that?"

She nodded.

"Well, is that everything you have to show me?"

Again, a simple nod.

Ian ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, then. I think I have you all figured out."

"Really?" she asked quietly.

Ian cringed. It was hard to endure her robotic tone. He would rather hear her stutter anytime. "Yes," he sighed.

"It may take more than you think." Amy set the painting down, and leaned against the wall.

Ian joined her. "Well, let me take a hack at it." He pause for a moment, gathering his thoughts, before he spoke again. "I'll start off with your second 'hint'. There was a couple kissing. I'm sure you meant to remind me of what happened in South Korea."

Amy didn't say anything, so Ian assumed he wasn't wrong.

"That wasn't the first time I tricked you, but I'm sure it was the first time someone broke your heart." He risked a glance at Amy. She was just staring at her shoes. He looked into her eyes, although they weren't looking up at him. Again, he got that drowning sensation, but he supposed it wasn't as bad as the first time. "And the boat you picked up," he continued softly. "What happened in the Caribbean." He licked his lips, making sure to choose his words carefully.

"Amy, I didn't mean to do that," he told her. "You know it was Isabel."

"Yes, and it was Isabel in China, wasn't it? And it was Isabel in Africa, and it was Isabel in Australia," she said sarcastically. That was the most emotion Ian had heard her use that entire day. Even though it wasn't the best emotion, it was better than nothing.

"If I didn't do what she said, she would have killed me!"

"Oh, so you thought it was alright to let me die instead."

"No," Ian sputtered. "I just..."

"Tried to kill me."

Ian groaned. This wasn't going well. "Look, it's in the past, alright? It's not like I wanted to try and kill you and your brother over and over again. We don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Ian..." Amy pushed away from the wall and turned to look him in the eye. "It's _because_ of the past that...That you think I'm different."

He noticed the vague way she replied to him. "And now we come to the painting."Amy looked away again. "You've been hurt too many times, and you don't want to be hurt again," Ian explained his thoughts softly. "So you've built walls around your heart, not wanting anyone to touch it again. You're afraid to believe in anyone, to count on them to help you through anything. Especially me. That's why you're so different."

Amy didn't say anything.

"All you need is someone to take down the walls," Ian murmured. "Bring down your defenses. I don't know what it will take, but I am determined to do it."

Taking a deep breath, Amy looked up again. "It will take a lot, you know," she whispered.

Ian came to stand in front of her. "Like what?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

Amy blushed, noticing how close Ian was to her. He almost cheered. She was _blushing._ That was a lot more like the Amy he used to know. "I...I don't know. Wh-what do people n-normally use to tear down walls?"

Ian smiled softly. She was stuttering. "I'm going to need some dynamite for this. Got any for me?"

"I can't provide you with it!" Amy protested, although she smiled, too. "I-I'm busy with the wall, remember?"

"Oh, that's right." Ian rubbed his lips together. "Well, then, I suppose I'll have to do something about that."

Before Amy could say anything else, Ian took her head in his hands, and gently kissed her. Her eyes widened at first, but then they fluttered closed. It was sweet and slow, and Amy soon melted, wishing that it could last forever. It was different than Korea. That had been just for a moment, but had surprised her and made her bones turn to jelly. This kiss...She just held onto it, trying to commit it to memory. Her heart felt as if it was trying to run away from her, and she felt as if she couldn't breath. But that was probably because she hadn't bothered to inhale since the kiss started.

When they finally broke away, Amy just stared at Ian. Both were lost in each others eyes, hypnotized.

That is, until someone said, "Oh no. Not again."

Amy and Ian whirled around, to see Dan, who had just come out of his bedroom.

"Are you together now?" he groaned.

Ian glanced at Amy, and she blushed slightly. "No, we aren't," she said. "He just...Used a bit of dynamite." She smiled softly, and Dan stared at her strangely.

"...Alright," he said slowly. "Well, you know it's like...midnight or something, right?"

Amy's eyes widened. "Really?" she laughed. Was it really that late? When Dan had dragged her out to catch fireflies, it had been dusk. She had only walked for about ten minutes before Ian saw her, and by the time they'd finished walking around and gotten back to her apartment, it must have been a couple of hours.

"It's alright," Ian assured her. "I can leave now." He gave her a smile, and she returned it. As he closed the door, he gave a little sigh of relief.

Maybe she didn't love him. Maybe they wouldn't have a future together. He didn't know why he had been compelled to do this. But he felt happier than he had in a long, long time.

**The End**

**Alright. You must be thoroughly confused with the whole Caribbean bit. I know the 9****th**** book doesn't come out for two more days, but I'm just going to pretend that he was forced to try to kill her and Dan again. I know, I'm mean, and I'm being a huge hypocrite...But it was kind of necessary. So, if that wasn't clear...You now know. I hope you enjoyed this. I sure did. :) I had two songs that inspired me, actually. "Got Dynamite", and "Catch Me", by Demi Lovato. ("Catch Me" was just for the kissing part, though.) Anyways, thanks to LucianWriter77, who did a great beta job. :)**


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